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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — to grow
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. shower — rain
  22. ball — a great time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com